1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a video processing system and a video processing method and more particularly to a video processing system and a video processing method for automatically putting an index into a video for retrieving or playing desired pictures.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a moving picture (a video) has an advantage that it can be accessed randomly to a desired position and a picture (frame) by recording it onto a CD-ROM, a CD-RW (ReWritable), a DVD (Digital Versatile Disk)-ROM and a DVD-RAM and the like, instead of recording onto media such as a magnetic tape from which a video can only be read in a sequential manner.
In order to access the desired positions and frames, it is necessary to insert indexes among the video. However, it takes too much time to put the indexes manually. With respect to marking the frames with the indexes automatically, there has been proposed a method of detecting locations called a xe2x80x98camera breakxe2x80x99 (where a different picture appears) by comparing two frames temporally adjacent each other and putting in the index.
However, such camera breaks appear approximately every five seconds in videos such as TV broadcasting programs and movies in general. Therefore, there arises a problem that if indexes are inserted to all of the detected camera breaks, the number of indexes increases excessively and it takes time to retrieve or play the desired pictures, which is contrary to its purpose.
Accordingly, it is a purpose of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems by providing a video processing system and a video processing method which allow significant camera breaks to be specified among a large number of camera breaks and which are suitable for retrieving and playing the videos.
The present invention solves the above problems. In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, the present invention provides a video processing system for determining a desired camera break in a video, including a detecting unit for detecting at least one camera break in the video, and an analyzing unit communicatively coupled to the detecting unit, wherein the analyzing unit analyzes a level of similarity between the detected camera break and a reference frame, and wherein the analyzing unit determines that the detected camera break is a desired camera break if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference frame may be obtained from a different video. Both the video and the different video may belong to a same category. The video may be a digital video.
In the system, the predetermined level may require that the reference frame and the detected camera break be identical.
In the system, the detecting unit may detect a plurality of successive camera breaks, wherein the analyzing unit may analyze a level of similarity between the plurality of detected successive camera breaks and a plurality of reference frames, and wherein the analyzing unit may determine that the detected successive camera breaks are desired camera breaks if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.
The system may further includes a recording unit for recording information concerning the desired camera break. The recorded information may include an index correspondence relationship between the desired camera break and the reference frame.
The system may further includes a processing unit for processing the video using the recorded information. The processing unit may retrieve the desired camera break from the video. The processing unit may play section in the video, wherein the section includes the desired camera break.
The system may further includes an other analyzing unit electrically connected to the recording unit, wherein the other analyzing unit may analyze a level of similarity between an other detected camera break and the desired camera break stored in the recording unit, and wherein the other analyzing unit may determine that the other detected camera break is an other desired camera break if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than an other predetermined level. Here, the predetermined level may require that the reference frame and the detected camera break be identical.
The system may further includes an other recording unit for recording information on the other desired camera break. The recorded information may include an index correspondence relationship between the desired camera break and the other desired camera break. The index correspondence relationship may include information on a frame number of the desired camera break and the other desired camera break.
The video processing system may determine a desired camera break among a plurality of videos, wherein the detecting unit may detect at least one camera break in each of the plurality of videos, wherein the analyzing unit may determine a number of videos among the plurality of videos in which the detected camera break of one of the videos has a level of similarity to the other detected camera breaks of the other videos equal to or greater than a predetermined level, and wherein the analyzing unit may determine that the detected camera break of the one video is a desired camera break if the number of videos is greater than a predetermined value.
The present invention also provides a video processing method for determining a desired camera break in a video, including steps of detecting at least one camera break in the video, analyzing a level of similarity between the detected camera break and a reference frame, and determining that the detected camera break is a desired camera break if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.
According to a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the reference frame may be obtained from a different video. Both the video and the different video may belong to a same category. The video may be a digital video.
In the method, the predetermined level may require that the reference frame and the detected camera break be identical.
In the method, the detecting step may detect a plurality of successive camera breaks, wherein the analyzing step may analyze a level of similarity between the plurality of detected successive camera breaks and a plurality of reference frames, and wherein the analyzing step may determine that the detected successive camera breaks are desired camera breaks if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.
The method may further includes a recording step that records information concerning the desired camera break. The recorded information may include an index correspondence relationship between the desired camera break and the reference frame.
The method may further includes a processing step that process the video using the recorded information. The processing unit may retrieve the desired camera break from the video. The processing unit may play section in the video, wherein the section includes the desired camera break.
The method may further includes an other analyzing step that may analyze a level of similarity between an other detected camera break and the desired camera break stored in the recording unit, and wherein the other analyzing step may determine that the other detected camera break is an other desired camera break if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than an other predetermined level. Here, the predetermined level may require that the reference frame and the detected camera break be identical.
The method may further includes an other recording step that records information on the other desired camera break. The recorded information may include an index correspondence relationship between the desired camera break and the other desired camera break. The index correspondence relationship may include information on a frame number of the desired camera break and the other desired camera break.
The video processing method may determine a desired camera break among a plurality of videos, wherein the detecting step may detect at least one camera break in each of the plurality of videos, wherein the analyzing step may determine a number of videos among the plurality of videos in which the detected camera break of one of the videos has a level of similarity to the other detected camera breaks of the other videos equal to or greater than a predetermined level, and wherein the analyzing step may determine that the detected camera break of the one video is a desired camera break if the number of videos is greater than a predetermined value.
The present invention further provides a recording medium on which a video processing program is stored for determining a desired camera break in a video, the video processing program being for causing a computer to execute steps of detecting a camera break in the video, analyzing a level of similarity between the detected camera break and a reference frame, and determining that the detected camera break is a desired camera break if the level of similarity is equal to or greater than a predetermined level.
The present invention yet provides a video processing system for determining a desired camera break in a video, including a detecting unit for detecting at least one camera break in the video, and an analyzing unit communicatively coupled to the detecting unit, wherein the analyzing unit analyzes a level of similarity between the detected camera break and a reference frame, and wherein the analyzing unit determines that the detected camera break is a desired camera break if the detected camera break and the reference frame are similar.